Watch-hand gauge



T. S. BARBER Dec. 27, 1932.

WATCH HAND GAUGE Filed DSC. l7, 1931 l Il zw/ 444i Si m f ma@ f, Q 6 T Patented Dec. 27, 1932 PArENr oFricE THOMAS S. BARBER, OF SHELBYVILLE, TENNESSEE WATCHTHAND GAUGE Application filed December 17, 1931.

This invention relates to devices for determining the sizes of watch hands.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a device by means of which the size of the hole in a particular watch minute or hour hand may be easily and quickly determined so as to save time in the replacing of broken hands of watches.

One of the methods commonly employed at the present time for fitting a new minute or hour hand upon the cannon pinion of a watch is to try diderent hands until the one correct size is found. This method is slow and tedious and often results in the breaking of additional hands before the proper one is selected.

lith a device embodying the present invention it is possible for a watchmaker to assort the supply of mixed hands which he may have orto readily determine the size of hands 2o to be ordered for a particular watch. The

device is particularly valuable in the fitting of luminous bracelet and strap watch hands.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this speciiication, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing 3o but may be changed or modied so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure trom the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a view in top plan of the device embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the same;

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section taken upon the line 3-8 of Figure 1; n

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken upon the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view of a portion of a modified form of the instrument.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, it will be seen that the device comprises a pair of tray-like members, one of Serial No. 581,714.

which constitutes the bottom memberV and is indicated by the numeral V 1, while the other is indicated by the numeral 2 and as shown, slides into the bottom member 1 from one end of the latter between the upstanding longitudinal side walls 3 thereof. Y

T he member 2 which will be referred to as the sliding or shittable member, comprises a' bottom portion which is of materially less lwidth than the bottom of the under member 1 60 and has the two longitudinal upstanding side walls 5, one of which bears against the inner face of one ot the side walls 3 where it is held in position by the inwardly and downwardly y turned tongue G which forms an integral part of the adjacent side wall 3 of the bottom member. This tongue serves as a'guide for the shiitable member and beingrelatively long effectively prevents its wabblingwhen beingr shifted in the bottom member 1. rlhe other side wall 5 orp the shiftable member is spaced from the adjacent other side wall 8 of the bottem member and in the area between these walls there is placed the elongated scale bar 7, the top face of which comes flush with the top edges of the adjacent walls 3 and 5 and has graduation marks formed transversely thereof, which marks are numbered to correspond to certain sizes'of cannon pinion apertures in watch hands.

The side wall 3 ofY the bottom member which is adjacent thel scale bar '7 also has formed integral therewith an inwardly eX- tending linger 8 which overlies the top edge of the adjacent wall 5 of the shiftable mem- 85 ber and thus coacts with the linger 6 to hold the shiftable member in the proper position. The bottom member 1 has the end wallet) extending thereacross at the end opposite that in which the shiftable member 2is inserted, 90 which end wall is provided with a centrally positioned sleeve 10 which is directed longitudinally of the two bodies.

Positioned longitudinally within the instrument is the` tubular arm 11, one end of which is reduced` as indicated at 12 for eXtension through the sleeve 10, and is screwthreaded to receive the holding nut 13 which when drawn up on the reduced end bears against the wall 9 and thussecures the*l arm- 100 in the horizontal position shown in Figure 2. The forward end of this arm is split as indicated at 14 to resiliently receive one end of a split chuck member 15 which chuck has a central passage 16 therethrough as illustrated in Figure 2.

Positioned in the outer end of the shiftable member 2 is a platform 17, or some other suitable means for supporting at the. same elevation above the bottom ofthe shiftable member as the top edges of the side walls thereof, the forwardly directed tapered pin 18. The pin 1S is preferably welded to the platform 17, but it is obvious that it may be otherwise secured. This pin 18 is disposed upon the longitudinal center of the instrument so that its longitudinal center coincides with the longitudinal center ofthe chuck 15 and thus when the shiftable body 2 is moved inwardly its point will enter the chuck as shown in Figure 2. v

The graduations upon the bar 7 are laid off to indicate the size of the tapered pin at any particularv point when such point is brought to the end of the chuck 15, this size corresponding with the standard size of the cannon pinion hole in a watch hand. It will thus be seen that in order to determine the size of a broken watch hand which is to be replaced it is only necessary to take the broken hand and Vslip it onto the end of the tapered pin 18 and then slide the body 2 inwardly to movethe tapered end of the pin into the chuck 15 until the chuck shoves the watch hand onto the pin as far as it will go.

The size of the cannon pinion hole in the watch hand will then be indicated on the scale 7 by the pointer 19 which is carried by the side wall 3 of the shiftable body 2 nearest the scale C7.' 1t will alsobe readily apparent that a group of watch hands of different sizes may be readily assorted in the same manner. y

In Figure 5 a slightly modified form is shown of the construction shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. In this form the same 'type of traylike bodies are employed as in the preferred form, the bodies in this form being indicated by the numerals 20 and 21. However, instead of having the scale disposed between two adjacent walls of the bodies, this form has the scale, which is indicated by the numeral 22, laid oif upon the uppersurface of thebottom tray 20, and the forward edge of the shiftable tray 21 positions across the scale to indicate the size of a hand mounted upon the pin 23. In this form there is also shown a modified form of chuck. The chuck here shown and indicated by the numeral 24 does not have a central bore therethrough like the bore 16 of the chuck 15, but is simply split radially from the center and the point of the pin 23 forces the prongs apart as it enters. This form of chuck isrdesi'gned for gauging the sizes of very small hands where the apertured portion would be apt to slip into the chuck if it were provided with a central passage like the chuck 15. It is, of course, understood that the chuck 24 which is shown in the modified form of the invention, being mounted in exactly the same way as the chuck 1 5 may be substituted for the chuck 15, if desired. l

From the foregoing description it will be readily apparent that with a device of the character embodying the present invention, the assorting of watch hands according to the sizeof the cannon pinion opening may be readily accomplished and the size of a. broken watch hand which is to be replaced may also .be easily and quickly determined. y

In addition to determining the size of a watch hand to be replaced upon a cannon pinion it will be apparent that the present device may be employed for determining the proper size of a watch hand where the hand to be replaced has been lost. To do this it is only necessary to take the diameter of the cannon pinion with a millimeter gauge and then slip the millimeter gauge over the pin 18 and move the same into the chuck until the millimeter gauge comes into contact with the chuck, whereupon the pointer 19 of the device will indicate upon the scale 7 the approximate size of the cannon pinion opening of the hand to'be used.

Having thus described the invention, Vwhat is claimed is 1. A watch hand gauge comprising a pair of connected rela-tively movable members, an elongated tapered pin secured to one of said members at the end of greatest diameter and having its other end free, a scale carried by one of the members, and an elongated body mounted onthe other member from the one carrying the pin to extend longitudinally of the gauge and formed to receive the pointed endof said pin to force a watch hand to the limit of its movement thereon.

2. A watch hand gauge comprising a pair of relatively long members mounted one upon the other with overlapping inner ends for relative longitudinal movement and constituting a bottom member and a shiftable member, an elongated tapered pin secured at its end of greatest diameter to the outer end of said shiftable member, an elongated split body mounted at one end upon the'outer end of the bottomv member and directed longitudinally thereof to receive the free end of the tapered pin, and a scale carried by one of the members for coaction with and to indicate the position of the other member relative thereto.

8. A watch hand gauge, comprising a pair of elongated members connected together for relative longitudinal movement, one of said members constituting the bottom member upon which the other member moves, an elongated fapsfedrncseured atits largest end of elongated relatively movable members, a v

scale carried by one of said members, an elongated tapered elementV carried by the other member and designed to be extended through the shaft opening of a Watch hand, and stop means carried by the scale carrying member for effecting the sliding of a Watch hand received upon the tapered element to the limit of its movement as one of the two members is moved in one direction relative Y to the other.

5. A Watch hand gauge, comprising a pair of elongated members mounted one upon the other for relative longitudinal movement, an elongated tapered pin carried by one of said members, a body carried by the other of said members and formed to receive the tapered end of the pin as the pin carrying elongated member is moved toward the other elongated member, a scale carried by one member, and a pointer carried by the other member from that carrying the scale and overlying the scale.

6. A Watch hand gauge, comprising a pair of elongated members connected together for movement relative to one another, one thereof constituting a bottom member upon which the other member is movable, said other member being of materially less Width than the bottom member, a scale disposed longitudinally of the members between one side of the bottom member and the adjacent side of the movable member, an elongated tapered pin secured at its larger end to one end of the movable member to extend longitudinally of the members, an arm disposed longitudinally of the members at one end of the bottom member and having one end split to receive the free end of the tapered pin, means at the other end of said arm for detachably securing it to the bottom member, and a pointer carried by the movable member for movement relative to the scale.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature.

THOMAS S. BARBER. 

